MSM Wordplay

Alas, I don't have screen capture software (note to all Christmas gift-buying readers!), or I'd have an exciting visual illustration to go along with this post.

On MSN.com this morning, I saw a link at the bottom of the article I was reading with this title:

"War critics arrested near Bush ranch"

I clicked it and got a story titled "War protesters arrested near Bush ranch" about some anti-war protesters who beat Cindy Sheehan back down to Crawford:

A dozen war protesters, including Daniel Ellsberg, were arrested Wednesday for setting up camp near President Bush’s ranch in defiance of new local bans on roadside camping and parking.

Now, I'm of the opinion that a story's title should be a story's title. The one-word difference in wording might fly right by most people but, I'll admit it, I watch the MSM like a hawk for this kind of stuff.

The title in the link implies that people were arrested for criticizing the war, rather than for protesting in violation of the new local laws. It's a subtle difference, to be sure. But then those are the ones that usually slip right by without notice or question. The ones that inform our perceptions without our being consciously aware of it. The ones that help the MSM insidiously push and reinforce their anti-war, anti-Bush agenda.

See, I don't have any problem with just saying what I think and letting you make up your own mind. The MSM, on the other hand, seems to like the sneaky, back-door way of doing things.

Maybe it was an accident. Maybe it wasn't.

Just thought I'd point it out.

MSM
Anti-War
Anti-Bush
Crawford
Cindy Sheehan